


Breaking Rules and Pulling Pranks

by tessathetesla



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Pranks and Practical Jokes, SHIELD Academy (Marvel), SHIELD Academy Era (Marvel), School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:49:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28175685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tessathetesla/pseuds/tessathetesla
Summary: “May used to be different. She was always quiet, but warm. Pulling pranks and breaking rules.” -CoulsonAfter becoming Skye's S.O., Melinda May shares some stories of her and Coulson from the Academy Days. Skye finds out that May used to be a prankster and a troublemaker.
Relationships: Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Breaking Rules and Pulling Pranks

Skye and May were resting in the lounge after a long day of training. May held a glass of Scotch and an ice pack while Skye got a beer and unwrapped her hands from the sparring session. May had taken on Skye as her SO after Ward had betrayed them and the two were slowly getting to know each other better. May didn’t often share much, but she realized how much it motivated Skye the next day. Coulson had told May it’s called “bonding” and she reluctantly agreed that sharing stories of her academy and early agents days helped Skye.

“So May, tell me another story from your Academy days. Was Operations really different than Sci-Tech?” Skye asked May as they both plopped on the couch in exhaustion.

May rolled her eyes, “Of course Ops was different. Lots of camo, long days of training, mock missions. I don’t think I got more than 5 hours of sleep a night the whole time I was there.”

Skye’s eyes went wide “That sounds terrible”

“What sounds terrible?” Coulson said from the stairs as he walked down. It was a rare time he was actually on base, instead of on one of his recruiting missions.

May smirked, “Just telling Skye about the academy days.”

Coulson smiled reminiscently, “Have you told her the story of how you almost got me expelled?”

Skye answered “I have NOT heard that one! TELL MEEEEEE PLEASE!”

May glared at Coulson but decided to humor Skye anyways. “Fine, you earned it because you worked so hard today.”

Coulson joined Skye and May on the couches and listened intently, ready to burst in if needed.

>>>

Coulson and May were finishing up their last semester at the Ops Academy. Coulson was actually from Communications, but spent his last semester at Ops in part of an exchange program. May was his student teacher in combat tactics, and the two had started to become friends. Coulson had tried to ask May on a date, but she politely refused, as she thought he was a bit too nerdy when they first met. But, a few months later, the two got closer, and after a surprising night, the two of them would seen as great future partners.

Finals were coming, and Coulson spent most of his nights in the library or his dorm room, usually with several ice packs from the day’s training. May had been particularly hard on the class today, and Coulson already had a nasty bruise forming on his shoulder.

“Tap tap tap” came a sound from the window, which was shocking because Coulson lived on the 4th floor.

He went to the window and to his surprise, May was clinging to the sill. “What the Hell, May?” as he let her in.

“SHHHHHH, quiet, they will hear!” May whispered, moving to close Coulson’s door and turning off the lights.

“Is this a mock mission, a test? What’s going on, May?” Coulson demanded, trying to keep his voice down but frustration coming through.

“No, no, nothing like that. It’s just…” May pulled out what appeared to be an atom statue from her backpack, “I stole Sci-Tech’s mascot”

“You did what!? How did you manage that?” Coulson put his ice pack back in the freezer as he shook his head at May.

May laughed, “I stole a Quin-Jet. Used cloaking. It was brilliant. But somehow they managed to see me, they tracked me back to base.”

Coulson could barely sputter you, “You STOLE a quinjet?! Do you want to get expelled just a week before graduating?”

“Naw, they wouldn’t expel me. I’m too good. Come on, we need to move. Tradition is, we need to put their mascot on top of the Dean’s roof” May grabbed a pair of night vision goggles from her bag. “Let’s go”

Coulson, “No, No No, you are not dragging me into one of your pranks. They might not expel you, but they would not hesitate to shoot a comm student on sight for trespassing.”

May punched Coulson in the shoulder he’d been nursing, “LIVE a little, Phil. Okay, if you help me, I’ll buy us drinks, you can even pick where to go. Even the comic book shop.”

Coulson desparately wanted to take May out for drinks, especially before they graduated. Plus, she was giving him those puppy dog eyes. “FINE. But any hint of trouble and we are backing out, okay?”

May was already headed out the door and Coulson had to sprint after her to catch up. The two snuck out of the dorms with no problem, it seemed like Sci-Tech hadn’t discovered she was there. But as soon as they left the building, they saw what appeared to be a flying robot in the skies. “Coulson, DOWN! They can probably see us with thermal imaging. Come on, the boiler room is close, it should be hot enough that they can’t see us.”

May and Coulson made it to the boiler room, and it was quite hot in there. They passed a few couples making out in dark corners, so everyone probably thought they were just another couple relieving some stress before finals. “The boiler room is the make out room?” Coulson whispered as they found a vent near the wall.

“Yup, been here quite a few times.” May smirked. She had been known to go through guys like scissors to paper. One reason that Coulson hadn’t pushed too hard to ask her out, he was quite aware of her reputation, and enjoyed being friends at the moment.

They heard what appeared to be three Sci-Tech students wandering through. “We know you are here Ops! You are gonna pay for stealing our mascot!”

May just giggled, “Wow, these sci-tech geeks have got to work on their threats.” She kicked out the vent and shoved Coulson through first. “Come on!”

There wasn’t much space for the both of them, so they were basically spooning inside this hot and steamy vent space. Coulson couldn’t barely breathe, between having May’s hair right in his face, and the stifling heat. They waited there several minutes, while the Ops couples yelled at Sci-Tech to get out. They heard from kicks and yelps, so seems like Sci-Tech scurried away before they could get beat up even more by the very muscular Ops students.

“I think they are gone, but let’s wait another minute” May said, staying amazingly calm and still.

Coulson’s heart felt like it was going to burst. He was really going to have to work on stealth skills more. This did not come easy. To ease the tension, he said “your hair smells nice.”

“Thanks? You don’t smell too bad yourself. The Ops guys tend to think there are only two scents: sweat and blood.” May replied and started squeezing out to the vent.

“Did you just give me a compliment?” Coulson smiled, glad it was dark, because he was blushing a deep shade of red.

“Don’t let it go to your head. Come on, comm boy, let’s finish this.” May and Coulson made it out of the boiler room, with Sci-Tech no where in sight.

“They must’ve been scared off. Alright, let’s go.” Coulson began running, feeling more confident as time went on. May had complimented him, and he had spent a good twenty minutes spooning with her. Well, in an vent, in a boiler room, in hiding, but he was considering this a date.

The two now good friends made it to the top of the Dean’s office without any more issues. They placed the atom statue on top, and then suddenly bright lights shined on them. Sci-Tech! They were waiting in ambush!

May and Coulson put both hands up, “Alright, you win.” Sci-tech blasted them with a sleeping agent and they both collapsed.

Hours later, May and Coulson woke up tied to pole in the main courtyard. They were covered in some slimy substance and there was a sign near them that said “Sci-Tech WINS!”

The sun was just rising, and many students were off to their first training exercises. The laughter was palpable in the courtyard, and an empathetic student of May’s came by to untie them.

“Well, we didn’t get expelled at least.” May gave Coulson a sheepish grin.

The two ended up spending a considerable amount of time at the showers, getting all the slime off. They met back up in the main lockers, where Coulson was digging a shirt out of his bag.

He noticed May staring at him as he stuck his head back out of his locker, “Um…hi?”

“You look good, Phil. Put on some muscle since we first met.” Coulson blushed an even deeper red than before. He was about to say something back when May give him a peck on the lips.

“I still owe you drinks.” She said in a very flirtatious way.

“Um…yes. Let’s do that. After class today. And no, not at the comic book shop. There’s an Irish pub I found that’s pretty nice to study at. Plus, they have live music tonight.” Coulson’s breath came in short spurts as he tried to not fumble this time.

“I’d love that.”

>>>

Skye just sat there in absolute shock. “May, I never knew! You were so…much like me!”

Coulson just laughed. “Yeah, you two are more alike than you know.”

Skye, “One more thing…after you went to the pub…did anything happen? Like another boiler room visit?”

May gave the smallest of mischievous smirks, “That’s classified” and left the room before Skye could do anything else.

She looked to Coulson with a pleading look, “Sorry, that’s May’s story to tell.” Coulson went back to his office and left Skye sitting there pouting.

>>>

The next day, May and Coulson sat in the office and smiled at remembering the prank. “You ever gonna tell her?” May wondered.

“Naw, more fun to be left to the imagination”

May chuckled, “If I remember correctly, you were so tipsy I had to drag you back to your dorm room and you promptly fell asleep.”

Coulson grinned, “Oh yeah, well, you were buying the drinks, so had to get as many as I could!”

May answered with an eye roll, “You still owe me a visit to the boiler room.” And walked out of the office before he could respond.

Coulson’s face blushed again in ways it hadn’t in a long time. Maybe there was hope for them yet. But first, time for another recruitment mission.


End file.
